Port workers line up for region’s first Covid-19 jabs
Marine pilots Shaun Chase and Dean Hardman were among the first people in the region to receive the Covid-19 vaccine as frontline Port Nelson workers lined up for their shots on Monday.
A ship’s captain who has experienced both the H4n4 bird flu and Zika virus during his time at sea, Chase said he appreciated the need for the vaccine, given the proximity to international ships that border workers operated under.
‘‘It’s probably not so much safer for us, but certainly for others around us. There’s that pressure on ourselves that when you’re sick, you’re sick, but exposing other people to it who’ll go then home to their families, that’s always been a big concern.’’
Around 400 port workers from Nelson City and Tasman District, and 1000 whanau – defined as those living in the same household as each staff member – are being offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Around 100 port workers from the Marlborough region and 300 loved ones will be offered the vaccine from today.
The vaccine was approved by Medsafe in early February, and has been transported in special containers to the South Island from an ultra-lowtemperature storage facility in Auckland.
With two doses required for all parties, and three weeks required between doses, the complete programme will take several weeks.
The Ministry of Health is leading the Covid-19 immunisation programme, working closely with Nelson Marlborough Health (NMH) to launch the programme.
The first round of vaccinations was being delivered by trained vaccinators from Nelson Bays Primary Health, Marlborough Primary Health and Ma¯ ori health provider Te Piki Oranga.
Nelson Bays PHO chief executive Sara Shaughnessy said jabs were offered and administered with the informed consent of employees and their loved ones, who were then booked in between 2pm and 7pm to allow for the 24-hour operating environment of the port.
Specialist nurse Steph Anderson was the nominated clinician on site overseeing the vaccine rollout.
‘‘That’s what we’re trained for, and that’s why we’re here – it’s a privilege to be active in this fight against the pandemic in the community,’’ she said.
Nelson Marlborough Health chief medical officer Dr Nick Baker said he was delighted with how the region had responded to the pandemic.
‘‘The fact we can start vaccinating as one of the first centres in the country – and, as you can see, we’ve got it pretty well organised – is a credit to everyone working together.’’
Baker said the next group to be offered vaccination would be frontline healthcare and disability workers, plus those most at risk from Covid-19.
However, he said it was important to follow the national process and accept priority areas that might influence the rollout.
‘‘I think we’ve discovered in the last few days that the country’s sitting on kind of a knife edge when it comes to Covid.
‘‘There’s a real risk it could take hold again, so we have to be ready with a vaccination campaign to support our steps in eliminating the spread.’’
Port Nelson chief executive Hugh Morrison said he was pleased that frontline border workers would now have access to the Covid-19 vaccine. However, the current weekly or fortnightly testing regime for port staff would continue as normal until the port company was directed otherwise.